Category: future

The breakthrough technology adopted for the new Vello Bike from Austria allows the battery to recharge on the energy generated while cycling, so you don’t need to dismantle it at the end of your ride and you will not run out of battery power. This is the first -bike worldwide that has this feature of permanent battery recuperation and with a weight of under 12 kg also the lightest.

The energy with this new system is harvested as before by braking and pedaling, just that it now also converts mechanical energy into electrical energy thanks to the Integrated Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). In that way, additional energy is released to recharge the light integrated lithium-ion battery. Through this new technology, VELLO BIKE+ all-in-one changes the motor map automatically and continuously in order to keep the battery charged. The motor assistance and the cutoff speed both depend on the battery charge, the input from the pedals (speed-torque) and the road slope. Choose from different assistance levels to get the extra push you need with the 250W motor. It is electrically-assisted when you want it to be. Unlike most electric bikes, it is still easy to pedal even with the power assistance turned off.

You can ride up to 15 miles per hour (25 km/hour) for unlimited mileage in “self-charging mode”, or in “turbo mode” up to 18-30 miles (30-50 km) on a full charge without any effort. As soon as you stop pedaling, the motor will stop pushing. The generated power depends on several factors including the bike speed, the pedaling speed, the road slope and the selected power mode.

These are not all the features of this revolutionary new foldable e-bike: there is a new gear adopted to the system, a new suspension system, availability with a titanium or carbon frame and much more. The Vello Bike is not yet on the market, but you can order it on this Kickstarter page and pledge the required model; a lot of features are less expensive than later or even free. The compaign only goes for another 4 days, so you have to be quick. Until now 188 people are backing the project, totaling a pledge sum of over 300’000 €. Delivery is planned for April 2017.

The Gorizia-based company Biolab, specialized in plant-based organic products, in cooperation with Eventgreen, is organizing the fourth edition of the Festival Vegetarino (Vegetarian Festival) in Gorizia from 31 August to 01 September 2013. Ample space will be dedicated to green living and working. and well-known Italian speakers will be featured. Meetings will take place as well as cooking classes, children’s’ workshops, exhibitions and – of course – vegetarian food will be offered. Massimo Santinelli founded Biolab 22 years ago, when vegetarians were hard to find. The number of people following a plant-based lifestyle has since then been constantly on the rise. According to the Eurispes Report 2012, 1.1% of Italians are now vegans and 4.9% are vegetarians. Since more and more people asked questions, gathered information and were looking for different possibilities for their daily choices, Mr. Santinelli launched the first vegetarian festival in 2010. Two points were clear right from the start: the vegetarian route is chosen for a variety of reasons – for ethics and health, the environment and for animal welfare – and is a broader choice than food and, therefore, the offer also must include more than food. The festival should appeal not only to vegetarians but be attractive for everyone. This is why the festival offers a full cultural programme.

The festival has constantly been developing and has evolved into one of the most important of its kind. The first edition was seen rather as a “test”, which confirmed that the vegetarian approach is shared by many people, and it was able to raise further interest. Public response has led to enriching the festival with meetings, courses and workshops. In 2011, 10,000 people came to visit the festival. In 2012, it was expanded from one to three days, moved from the industrial area to the historic centre of the city and saw 25,000 visitors. (Picture: Festival Vegetarino 2012)

Recently a statue of Sri Chinmoy holding a Peace Torch was dedicated at Chantery Park, Ipswich, England. The statue was a gift from the Oneness-Home Peace Run, and marked the culmination of a week long Peace Run from Cardiff to Ipswich. Sri Chinmoy visited Ipswich on two occasions, in the the 1980s and 1990s, and the city is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Peace Blossoms programme. Several athletic events have also been offered by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team in Ipswich over the years.

The organiser of the event, Martin Spettigue commented that: “We want to offer something that will inspire people to think more and more about peace and to understand how important peace is to an individual.” The Mayor of Ipswich offered his gratitude to the Peace Run team for kindly offering this symbol of peace and said it would be a great asset to Chantery Park. During the ceremony, the Peace Run offered a ‘Harmony Torch Bearer Award’ to the Reverend Clifford Reed (a poet, artist, and Unitarian Minister for 36 years.) The ‘Harmony Torch Bearer Award’ is a recognition for individuals who have selfless offered a positive contribution to their local communities . The Reverend Clifford Reed was honoured, amongst other achievements, for his sterling work in bringing different religions together. He was a founder member and chairman of the Ipswich interfaith movement. He is also a leading poet, and writer.

The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run is an international event which seeks to promote peace and harmony across the world. Since its inception in 1987, it has travelled through many countries and given thousands of people the opportunity to participate in offering a wish for world peace. This year, the British Peace Run, began in Cardiff and travelled across the country through Bristol, Oxford and Cambridge before arriving in Ipswich. The Peace Run started with the Mayor of Cardiff offering a message of goodwill to the other mayors along the way.

The world has been marching to war, Sri Chinmoy has been running for peace… those words were spoken at the funeral of the spiritual giant in 2007. Six years later Chinmoy’s defiant message of hope lives on.

We all live and move in our own worlds, our own circles, circumscribed by work, family, friends, the choices we make. But we also live in the wider world, affected by great forces of change – social and political upheaval, the vagaries of climate, the state of the planet. And from time to time something in our own smaller world makes the news, or something out there impinges on us or resonates powerfully.

A few weeks ago, I switched on the TV and tuned in to Channel 4 News. The main story was about the sudden floods affecting Europe. Jon Snow was talking about the damage caused, the lives lost, and film footage appeared behind him. One image in particular stayed on screen for some time. It showed a statue on the banks of the Vitava River in Prague.

The flood waters had risen, flowing round the statue, almost engulfing it, but not quite. What remained visible was the top of the statue, a powerful Buddha-like head above broad shoulders, hands folded in prayer, cleaving the waters. The image was intensely dramatic, visually stunning. It moved me deeply for reasons that were entirely personal. The statue was of my teacher, my Guru, Sri Chinmoy, who passed away in 2007. I knew him for almost 40 years, as mentor, guide, friend, but he had a role to play out there on the world stage.

When I first met Sri Chinmoy

I first met Sri Chinmoy on a cold December night in 1970. He was giving a lecture in Glasgow University’s Catholic Chaplaincy, and I was profoundly impressed, as much by his being, his presence, his sheer poise, as by what he had to say. (At one point, I recall, he chanted a Sanskrit mantra, then stood for a moment in silence, in his Indian robes, hands folded in front of him, in the exact same attitude portrayed, decades later, in that sculpture in Prague). This was someone who didn’t just talk about spiritual truths, he lived them and embodied them. The peace and light he radiated were palpable.

I discovered he’d been born in what was then Bengal, and in the mid-1960s had moved to New York where he held regular peace meditations at the UN. This was an early indication of that wider role he was to play in those 40 years. Throughout that time I looked on in awe as he pushed himself ever harder, finding new, imaginative ways to communicate, to inspire.

I knew him first as a philosopher, a spiritual teacher who also expressed himself eloquently through poetry and song. Later he immersed himself in drawing and painting, producing thousands of pictures, vibrant with color, executed with a vigorous, gestural energy, but often too with a rare delicacy, especially in his depiction of birds – glorious, soaring, joyful.

He did everything with gusto, and brio, and on a grand scale. The late Leonard Bernstein once described him as ‘the very model of abundance in the creative life’ and in this he epitomised his own philosophy of ‘self-transcendence’ – pushing his own limits and inspiring others to do the same. This carried over into the world of athletics. He himself was a keen athlete – a decathlon champion in his youth, a marathon runner in later life. He emphasised the importance of a dynamic approach to living, nurturing body and soul. Countless athletic events have been organised in his name worldwide (including the perennially popular Wednesday night races throughout the summer months at the Meadows in Edinburgh, on a course designated a Sri Chinmoy Peace Mile).

He was the inspiration behind the Oneness-Home Peace Run, a great global relay which has linked many thousands of people worldwide in a spirit of harmony and solidarity.

When his own running was curtailed, in what seemed a surprising development he took up weightlifting, again pushing his limits, as he put it, ‘challenging impossibility’ and tapping in to a source of strength deep within, as if matter itself were bending to consciousness, to spiritual will.

Over the decades, Sri Chinmoy traveled widely, lecturing and giving what he called peace concerts, singing and playing his own devotional music, often to audiences numbering thousands. After one memorable concert in Paris, a reviewer wrote about how astonishing it was to see one man simply stand with folded hands and impose silence on the vast crowd in the auditorium. The music grew out of that silence. The silence nurtured and sustained the music. (Again the image is the same – the folded hands, the power of peace).

The message of peace, inner and outer, was always at the heart of Sri Chinmoy’s teaching. Imagining a world ‘flooded’ with peace, he wrote, ‘Who is going to bring about this radical change? It will be you, you and your brothers and sisters.’ His work for peace brought him into contact with some of the great peacemakers of our age. Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Mikhail Gorbachev all expressed their admiration and respect.

He was deeply honoured when significant sites around the world were dedicated to peace in his name, as ‘Sri Chinmoy Peace Blossoms.’ These included, in Scotland, the Forth Bridge, the Isle of Skye, and the City of Edinburgh. Finally Scotland itself was dedicated as a Sri Chinmoy Peace Nation, in a declaration signed, with a flourish, by the late Donald Dewar in 1999. Sri Chinmoy wrote a song about Scotland, celebrating the country’s qualities. The key words were invention, action and discovery, as always looking at the positives (perhaps no bad thing as we move towards next year’s referendum).

On his last visit to Scotland, in 2005, he held a ceremony at Edinburgh University, in his turn honoring men and women who had contributed greatly to the life and culture of this nation. In a unique extension of his weightlifting activities, and giving a new meaning to the words ‘spiritually uplifting’ he literally lifted each of them above his head on a specially designed platform. Among those he lifted that day were artist Calum Colvin, poets Tom Leonard and Valerie Gillies, and Iain Torrance, then Moderator of the General Assembly. It’s an occasion none of them is likely to forget, and Professor Torrance spoke eloquently about the unusual nature of the ceremony, and how important it was to find new ways of communicating the timeless truths.

So that’s something of the background, explaining just a little about why that news footage of the statue in Prague affected me so deeply. I’m immensely grateful to have known this spiritual giant, for my life to have been touched and enriched by him. But beyond the personal, the image itself seemed iconic, symbolic. The figure stands, hands folded in supplication, invoking something higher, the highest and best in ourselves. It’s profoundly human, and at the same time transcendent.

At Sri Chinmoy’s funeral in 2007, US Congressman Gary Ackerman spoke movingly about the man and his work. “The world has been marching to war,” he said. “Sri Chinmoy has been running for peace.”

Swimming against the tide

He also made the point that Sri Chinmoy had always had to “swim against the tide.” In an age of ugly materialism and greed, he championed the life of the spirit, a philosophy of oneness and inclusiveness. At his last, informal meeting with so few of his followers, he had spoken of the power of hope in our lives. Let us not underestimate the power of hope. No matter how fleeting its life, it offers to us the most convincing and fulfilling power. And perhaps that’s why this image itself, of the statue in Prague, is so powerful. In the face of everything, the floodwaters rising, we hold on to hope, we keep our heads above water, we go on.

As it happens, another similar statue is being installed tomorrow in a Peace park in Ipswich (where Sri Chinmoy once meditated, and where regular races are held in his name). I’ll be giving a short talk at the dedication ceremony, as I did a year ago when another statue was unveiled on the waterfront in Cardiff. The statues are the work of sculptor Kaivalya Torpie from London, himself a lifelong devotee of Sri Chinmoy. (That’s what gives him the insight, the empathy to be able to capture something of the inwardness, the power of the subject matter).

Returning to the statue in Prague, there’s a song Sri Chinmoy wrote, in his native Bengali. His own English translation begins, “The wave subsides and the wave rises. And it ends, Everything eventually blossoms.”

Since the opening of the new vegan Restaurant AMAZING STRENGTH at the Müllerstrasse in Zurich (not far from the main station) I was fascinated and attracted by the enterprise owned by the Soyana company, a very dynamic production place for organic tofu and related products. It all started with a Vegelateria, the first Swiss ice cream shop serving ice cream with natural and organic ingredients, not using milk products and white sugar, end of of January of this year. In the meantime the next step could be reached in offering 25 seats in the restaurant adjunct to the Vegelateria. And yesterday the third in a series of exhibitions and events opened: color panels with quotes by Sri Chinmoy on happiness.

A.W. Dänzer at the opening of the “Happiness” Exhibition in Zurich

The book in connection with the exhibition is called “The Jewels of Happiness”. Author, creative artist and renowned peace visionary Sri Chinmoy offers timeless wisdom and simple exercises for readers of all backgrounds. The complete audio book was released on March 12th with a launch on March 19th in New York City. Luminaries from all walks of life reach read a chapter from The Jewels of Happiness – including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Addwitiya Roberta Flack, Narada Michael Walden and Sudhahota Carl Lewis! Perfectly suited to our fast-paced lifestyles, The Jewels of Happiness includes short, insightful sections full of uplifting wisdom, charming aphorisms and easy to learn exercises. Each section stands on its own-with the entire book forming a tapestry of inspiration. “You can have the most joy just by imagining a child infinitely more beautiful than any child that you have seen in this world,” writes Sri Chinmoy. “You have inside you a child who is infinitely more beautiful. Just imagine it. While imagining it, you will get utmost joy.” Each of the 13 chapters in The Jewels of Happiness is on a different theme, such as peace, joy, patience, enthusiasm, sincerity, love, self-giving, humility, compassion, self-trascendence, simplicity and forgiveness.

At the opening of the exhibition there was also a screening of the film “happy” by Roko Belic. The movie takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Combining real life stories of people from around the world and powerful interviews with the leading scientists in happiness research, the film explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion.

Viewers’ Comments: “Happy is one of those movies that will make you a better person for having seen it! An excellent, thought provoking movie that will grab your attention and your heart. This should be required viewing for everyone… There is a well done piece also about what doesn’t make kid’s happy. A great movie that will warm your heart, stir your soul and hopefully make you think about a practical application in your own life.”

“Important movie for the young. This is a movie where the subject matter is far more important than the quality of the movie itself (which is good). Had I received messages like this when I was young, I am sure I would have made fewer mistakes. Young persons understand that happiness is a life goal but they are often confused among conflicting messages on how to get there. By illustrating those who have achieved happiness as well as those who have not, the movie could potentially be very useful in helping young people make responsible and fulfilling life choices. So hopefully this little movie will be recognized as a motivational tool for the young and used in our classrooms and in other venues where teens might be receptive to its message.”

“Amazing. This film will make you happy! What an amazing feeling I had after watching this film. Film may not be the correct term in describing this passion project of genius, Roko Belic… I think the word experience is apt. Funded and executive produced by comedy directing legend Tom Shadyac (Ace Ventura, Evan Almighty), Mr. Belic takes us around the globe in a search for what it means to be happy…and we find it! It is hard to put into words what he has accomplished in this riveting and eye-opening documentary, but we see and feel that true happiness is pretty easy to attain. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor.”

The exhibition will be on display at Müllerstrasse 64 in Zurich until October 17th 2013 and is available daily during the opening hour of the restaurant from 11 am to 9 pm from Monday through Saturday. Check it out and don’t forget to taste the “best ice cream of Switzerland” as many say…

“Sirius” from Emmy Award winning director Amardeep Kaleka (“Neverending Light”), producer J.D Seraphine and narrated by actor Thomas Jane (“Hung”) will have a gala celebrity premiere on April 22 in Hollywood followed by a limited national theatrical release on April 24. The explosive documentary deals with the subject of UFO disclosure and clean energy. “Sirius” was also one of the most successful crowd funding initiatives ever produced. The film includes official witnesses to the UFO secrecy, explains the connection to Free Energy and provides the vision of Contact with ET Civilizations as witnessed by the CE-5 contact teams. Never before has this wealth of information and footage been shown to the public. “This really is the greatest story never told” says Dr. Greer, “Once people understand that classified projects have figured out how UFO’s operate, they will realize we no longer need oil, coal and nuclear power. This is the truth that has driven the secrecy.”

According to Thomas Jane, “The Sirius documentary is a powerful and important film that I encourage everyone to watch with an open mind.” “Given the possibility that there was something profound to explore here – something that could potentially open minds to new realms and new possibilities – we seized the opportunity to take on this project. For every story we told, we found hundreds of others. Our goal is to initiate our audience on the same journey – to open their minds and inspire them to search – and freely consider that there is more in this world than we may ever know” adds director Kalek.

The Disclosure Project is a research project working to fully disclose the facts about UFOs, extraterrestrial intelligence, and classified advanced energy and propulsion systems. Steven M. Greer, MD is Founder of The Disclosure Project, The Center for the Study of Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CSETI) and The Orion Project. Father of the Disclosure movement, he presided over the groundbreaking National Press Club Disclosure Event in May, 2001. Over one billion people heard of the press conference through the original webcast and on subsequent media coverage on BBC, CNN, CNN Worldwide, Voice of America, Pravda, Chinese media, and media outlets throughout Latin America. The webcast had 250,000 people waiting online- the largest webcast in the history of the National Press Club at that time. A lifetime member of Alpha Omega Alpha, the nation’s most prestigious medical honor society, Dr. Greer has now retired as an emergency physician to work with CSETI, The Disclosure Project and The Orion Project. During part of his career, he was chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Caldwell Memorial Hospital in North Carolina. He is the author of four insightful books and multiple DVDs on the UFO/ET subject. He teaches groups throughout the world how to make peaceful contact with extraterrestrial civilizations, and continues to research bringing truly alternative energy sources out to the public. Dr. Greer has studied the Sanskrit Vedas extensively and has been teaching mantra meditation for over 30 years. He has also been a part of the films “Ancient Aliens” and “Thrive.” Dr. Greer has been seen and heard by millions world-wide on CBS, the BBC, The Discovery Channel, the History channel and through many other news sources.

Brook Forest Voices (BFV) audiobook producer and publisher has signed an agreement with Heart-Light to download distribution of Sri Chinmoy’s inspirational “The Jewels of Happiness: Inspiration and Wisdom to Guide Your Life-Journey.” “The Jewels of Happiness” is an audiobook containing poems and prose by peace leader Sri Chinmoy. A video message delivered by Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu stated, “These sweet gems of wisdom by my dear friend Sri Chinmoy are timeless truths full of encouragement, love and goodness.” The audiobook was released March 19 at the United Nations headquarters in New York on the eve of the first UN International Day of Happiness and contains chapters read by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, singer Roberta Flack, Olympic champion Carl Lewis, musician Michael Walden, actress Judith Light and Musician Boris Grebenshikov.

BFV President Diana Andrade points out, “Brook Forest Voices corporate motto is taken from a native American saying, ‘It takes a thousand voices to tell a single story’, so it’s a bit of kismet that we’ve been chosen as the distribution partner for this wonderful book narrated by so many influential people. We are thrilled.” “The Jewels of Happiness” is now be available from Brook Forest Voices and their distribution channels as an audio download. A portion of the proceeds will go to charities for children worldwide: Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, Philani Nutrition and Development Project in South Africa and Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity.

Brook Forest Voices is a complete audio production studio located just west of Denver in Evergreen, CO, specializing in audiobook narration, production and publishing. BFV is designed to help large and small publishers, as well as authors, with all their audio needs. Publishers and authors wanting to learn more can visit http://www.brookforestvoices.com.

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In the series "Meditation-Silence" you can enter the realm of meditation with short quotations and meditation videos with spiritual master Sri Chinmoy. 20 episodes were published on
srichinmoy.tv and you are welcome to watch or download them.